Lodge and Wishard Earn All-WCC Preseason Honors
8/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
MALIBU, Calif. - Sophomore Lauren Lodge (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS) and junior Chelsea Wishard (Lawai, Hawai'i/Kauai HS) Thursday were named to the West Coast Conference's Cross Country Preseason All-Conference Team.
The 10-person men's and women's squads in addition to the preseason polls were decided on by the conference's head coaches.
Pepperdine's two selections tied them with Loyola Marymount for the second highest total behind defending WCC women's champion Portland, which claimed three honorees.
Wishard was the bronze medalist at last season's WCC Championships and led Pepperdine to the finish line at each one of its eight meets. Lodge provided the team with five top-20 showings and a pair of top-10 finishes prior to recording several school records for the track team.
"The team and I are very proud of what both Chelsea and Lauren have accomplished in such a short time here at Pepperdine," head coach Robert Radnoti said. "They're outstanding competitors and I can't wait to get them back on campus for the start of our season."
The Pilots topped both the men's and women's poll in a unanimous vote. Portland's men's team has won the WCC title every year since 1979, while its women's crew has won all but three crowns dating back to 1985.
Both polls remained similar down the line with Loyola Marymount, San Francisco and Santa Clara expected to be fighting for second place. Pepperdine's women's team is predicted to finish fifth this season and the men were selected to place sixth.
The 2009 Pepperdine Cross Country season gets underway Tuesday, Sept. 1 with a dual meet vs. Cal State Bakersfield as part of the annual Malibu Oceanside Open.
Men's XC Preseason All-Conference Team
Phillip Benavides, LMU
Tommy Betterbed, POR
Ganbileg Bor, USF
Andy Edick, POR
Alex Harkins, SCU
Collin Harris, POR
Al Kipchumba, POR
Brian McDonald, LMU
Conner Pastoor, LMU
Robbie Reid, SCU
Women's XC Preseason All-Conference Team
Lyndy Davis, POR
Brieanna Delaney, LMU
Tara Erdmann, LMU
Natalie Hemphill, POR
Laurel Kleiber, USF
Lauren Lodge, PEP
Dana Morgan, POR
Liz Ramos, USD
Stephanie Wilson, SCU
Chelsea Wishard, PEP
